Have you ever ever watched a vacation rom-com on Hallmark Channel or Lifetime — or any of the opposite many networks and streamers that now air them — and thought, “I could write that”? It’s more durable than you could suppose — however simply as enjoyable.
Common writers of Christmas fare for Hallmark Channel, Nice American Household and Lifetime share the ins and outs, misconceptions and exceptions to writing a Christmas TV film.
Christmas is 12 months a 12 months
Some say the vacation season goes by shortly, however for these whose jobs rely upon it, Christmas is at all times on the mind.
Writers are at all times searching for their subsequent gig so there’s no actual relaxation or downtime between assignments.
The stress is on to provide you with concepts, get them offered and get writing so the movies can get made and able to air.
“I feel like when I’m not writing Christmas movies I’m pitching Christmas movies, so I feel like it’s Christmas all year round,” stated Anna White, who government produced and wrote “The Holiday Junkie,” directed by and starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, premiering Saturday on Lifetime.
It may be difficult, nonetheless, to get into the mindset of Christmas when life outdoors doesn’t match the world you’re creating.
Rick Garman, who wrote the 2023 Hallmark Channel hit movie “Christmas on Cherry Lane,” together with its three sequels this 12 months for Hallmark+, typically writes Christmas motion pictures in June.
A resident of Savannah, Georgia, he says the excessive warmth and humidity could be a slog.
When these moments bubble up, Garman has skilled himself to suppose massive image. “I sort of flip back to this idea that people are going to watch this movie and it’s going to make them happy … and then I sort of get over myself.”
Cookie cutter tales
Typically writing a script for a Christmas TV film might be like listening to the identical vacation tune on repeat.
“If you look at the hundreds and hundreds of Christmas movies over the last several years, it is tricky to come up with a different idea or a new twist on an old idea or a classic,” stated Cara Russell, an government producer of “Christmas Under the Northern Lights,” which debuted on Nice American Household in November.
Promoting an thought or a script may cause deja vu says Nina Weinman, whose 2024 providing was “Debbie Macomber’s Joyful Mrs. Miracle,” for Hallmark.
Anna White shares how she bought began writing Christmas motion pictures.
“I pitched a Christmas idea and they were like, ‘It’s so good that we have something identical to that already in development.’” You’re like, ‘OK, somebody else got their first.’ That occurs.”
That is the place writers need to push themselves to search out other ways to inform tales, stated White. She asks herself, “What is a new hook into this? What is something we’ve never seen? What is a world we’ve never seen? What is a topic we’ve never explored? That’s kind of hard because obviously now every channel everywhere does a million Christmas movies, but that’s the challenge.”
Garman admits making an attempt to consider contemporary concepts to maintain himself as properly. “There’s only so many times that they can bake cookies,” he stated.
No recipe required
Many surprise if there’s a method to writing a Christmas film with sure standards that should be met like “mistletoe kiss, check.” Weinman says completely not.
“That is not true. I don’t know where the rumor started that there’s a list out there. There’s not.”
Suggestions for writing a made-for-TV Christmas film
There’s no actual guidelines to observe, however writers say there are some customary practices to bear in mind.
- If you wish to write Christmas motion pictures, be ready to expertise Christmas year-round.
- Originality and contemporary concepts are welcome but additionally bear in mind your viewers.
- There aren’t any true villains in a Christmas TV film.
- Each story has a cheerful ending.
Telling totally different tales
Weinman credit Hallmark Channel for branching out in recent times with their Christmas content material.
“There wasn’t a lot of creative freedom when I first started writing these movies. Now they’ve found you have to go bigger or go bolder if you want the people to keep coming back. And they are. I see a lot of feedback that the audience loves the big swings.” She’s particularly pleased with a film she wrote that debuted final 12 months on Hallmark referred to as “Catch Me If You Claus” that was extra of a caper. “I wrote that movie 10 years ago. It was too broad for a while. They finally said yes.”
Lately, Hallmark Channel and Lifetime added Christmas motion pictures with LGBTQ storylines and Hanukkah-themed movies too.
This 12 months, Julie Sherman Wolfe, who’s Jewish, wrote each “Holiday Touchdown: A Chiefs Love Story” and “Hanukkah on the Rocks” for Hallmark Channel. Her first Hanukkah-themed film was “Hanukkah on Rye” from 2022.
“I got to release everything anyone in my family has ever said or done that’s funny or touching or just culturally significant to Hanukkah. I just threw it all into that, but then somehow found some more stuff for “Hanukkah on the Rocks.’”
White grew up Jewish and stated “one of the great things about these Christmas movies is they’re pretty like, you know, non-religious. They’re pretty much just like, what’s the pop culture of Christmas? I love that.”
Maintain the Christmas vibes
With no guidelines to observe, it’s useful to recollect those that tune in are followers of the style. In different phrases, if you wish to promote a Christmas film to a community, hold it Christmas-y.
“There’s not going to be sex, drugs and rock and roll. That’s never going to happen. It’s always staying on brand,” stated Weinman.
“It’s comfort food. The couple is going to end up together. Nobody’s going to die,” added Garman.
Garman has taught lessons on writing Christmas motion pictures and tells college students to keep in mind that Christmas drives the story. “How does the Christmas spirit help people achieve their goal or how does it bring these two people together or how do they find their way back to something because of Christmas?”
And, on the planet of TV motion pictures about Christmas, dangerous guys aren’t “an outright villain or a caricature,” stated Russell. As an alternative, Garman describes them as “misguided” individuals who “usually learn their lesson by the end. Knowing that everything’s going to be OK at the end of this two hours is why people watch.”
The Christmas countdown begins early
Some folks put their Christmas tree up as quickly as they’re executed handing out Halloween sweet. Networks are conscious of this and able to meet the demand.
Hallmark Channel kicked off its annual Countdown to Christmas with authentic movies and repeats starting Oct. 18. Lifetime waited till pumpkin spice lattes had cooled and began their schedule on Nov. 16.
Invoice Abbott is the president and CEO of Nice American Media and previous to that was the pinnacle of Hallmark’s father or mother firm. Between each jobs, he’s watched the demand for Christmas motion pictures start earlier and earlier.
“Initially I would have thought that Christmas movies would be very popular between maybe the week before Thanksgiving through Christmas,” stated Abbott. “As it’s turned out, it’s popular from October through the end of the year.”
It needs to be no shock that Nice American Household began their vacation season off sooner than some other community. The primary Christmas film to air this 12 months on Nice American Household was on Oct. 10, which Abbott says is ”past my wildest expectations.”
So that you suppose you may write a Christmas film? Then do it.
“I wrote one on spec, which means, without it having anywhere to go. I sent it out to a bunch of people and got my manager that way. He hooked me up with some of the production companies that make these Christmas movies. The ball kept rolling … There’s always demand for them and they sell, I think, really well internationally.”
